Nico Rosberg is bullish about his chances of securing a 2010 drive that will take his Formula 1 career to the next level, but admits he is still assessing whether that means staying at Williams or moving elsewhere.
Rosberg told journalists at Spa on Thursday that he has “great options” on the table for next year, including the chance to move to McLaren.
Asked how he viewed the prospect of switching to the Woking-based squad, he said: “From my point of view it’s for sure an interesting option – but that’s pretty obvious I guess.”
Rosberg has put together an impressive string of results this season and lies fifth in the championship in the much-improved Williams.
But he admits he is now eager to make a breakthrough and start winning races.
“[I’m] not impatient, but I’d really like to get a car which will allow me to go for podiums and race wins,” he said.
“That’s what I’m trying to find for next year. I just have to evaluate which team gives me that possibility, whether Williams can do it or someone else.”
Rosberg noted the huge strides McLaren has made with the performance of its car recently, saying: “It’s very impressive. They’ve made a step of one second from one grand prix to the next, which is an amazing step.”
However he added that Williams had been the most consistent team of 2009 and that there are strong arguments for staying put.
“The positives of Williams are that I’m team leader, which I’m not when I move,” he said.
“And I feel very comfortable in the team – we’ve really become a nice bunch and we work strongly together.
“So there are some very big positives.”
Rosberg expects to finalise a deal in the “next few weeks” and says he has a stronger set of possibilities than ever before in his career.
“I’m in talks with several teams, and I’m pleased with my situation because I really have some good opportunities for next year,” he said.
“It’s not just down to me, it’s a mixture. It’s not like everyone is waiting for me.
“That would be nice but it’s not the case. I think that happens when you are a four-time world champion.”
McLaren’s largest shareholder Mercedes-Benz is thought to be particularly keen on signing Rosberg, who along with Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel is probably the brightest German prospect on the grid and is one of the sport’s most marketable drivers.
Were he to join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, or another top team, Rosberg would not enjoy the same status within the team as he currently enjoys at Williams, where his superiority over Kazuki Nakajima has established him as the clear team leader.
But he feels the trade-off might be worthwhile and that stronger competition would be beneficial for him.
“It’s better, I think, to have a team-mate that constantly pushes you,” he said.
“Kazuki isn’t so far off me in terms of lap time, so he is a help from that point of view…but a little bit more of that would help obviously.”
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